Following on from my previous blog, My Top 5 Favourite Wallpaper Brands I thought I'd introduce you to 5 amazing wallpaper designers you may not already know.
I love finding a wallpaper designer I haven't seen before; exploring new designs and coming across patterns I haven't yet seen always gives me a little thrill and I spend ages scrolling through their ranges to see if anything pulls me in.
These upcoming designers have done just that; these are some of the extremely talented people I have stumbled across whilst looking for inspiration, or browsing sample books, who have really captured my attention and made me fall in love with their work.
I've always fancied the idea of designing my own wallpaper and fabric - and maybe one day I shall; but most of the time, I have no idea how these incredibly clever people come up with such beautiful images from their own imaginations, so I'm not convinced it is ever something I will manage to do! Who knows?!
So, let's get into the list! I hope you love these designers just as much as I do!
Diane Hill is a London based artist, wife and mum of two (very lucky!) girls. Her bright and stunning works of art are inspired by 18th Century Chinoiserie and her unique method, painting on silk gives her designs a modern, fresh and luxurious look, versatile enough to grace any room in any home - anywhere in the world.
Diane's wish is to bring us all the joy, wonder and whimsy that Chinoiserie holds within its details so that we can enjoy and appreciate it for many years to come.
Diane started her business in 2016, after slowly painting her daughter's bedroom over the course of a year. She created a beautiful, bold and colourful Chinoiserie paradise, filled with birds and flowers. The resulting photos were shared so much online that she even caught the attention of Vogue Magazine! It was then that Diane realised she needed to create herself a professional profile and make this her career.
Diane's process uses a mixture of Chinese and European brushes, along with a kind of watercolour paint, called Gouache, painted onto silk - backed with rice paper, which allows her to get the perfect blended gradients and crisp details she is proud of. Her designs are then digitised with a specialist precision scanner, which not only creates a perfect reproduction of the original painting, but also includes the fine details, such as the texture of the silk and every fine brush stroke.
If you've never experienced Diane's incredible designs, then please do head to her website (click on her name, above) and follow her on instagram. She is such a lovely, kind lady and she deserves all the support.
I came across Diane's work on my last visit to Design Centre, Chelsea. I was browsing pattern books in Morris & Co. and immediately ordered a couple of samples to make a mood-board with. The quality is stunning and the vibrancy of her colours are so, so beautiful! I'd love some Diane Hill in my house, one day!
I love Diane's vine-like designs and choices of colour-ways. From the beautiful soft pastels to her bolder, more colourful patterns - they are all so stunningly detailed and full of imagination. One of my favourite prints is Marsha, with its wonderfully powerful flowers, bursting out of their pale background in an explosion of colour and energy. And Ella in peach - just so beautiful!
I also love Valentina, showing a gorgeous flock of spoonbills flying across a metallic background of swaying willow branches. And Lady Alford, featuring bamboo stems and climbing anemone flowers in four lovely colour-ways; but really, it's impossible to choose just one of Diane's designs, because they are all equally glorious!
Lucy Bentley is the creative mind behind British luxury home decor brand, Hex & Henbane. Her mysteriously dark designs began when Lucy completed her final year, studying Decorative Arts and started Hex & Henbane in 2018.
Lucy has always been interested in historical design and often spent time at National Trust properties and local stately homes; so, it is no surprise that this is where she draws most of her inspiration from when creating her own designs.
The Arts & Crafts movement is one of Lucy's most loved and she particularly connects with the beliefs in upholding fine craftsmanship, heritage and traditions; and actively strives to continue these important practices within her own work ethics.
Each design is hand painted by Lucy before being digitally printed by local suppliers to the highest quality.
In 2018, Lucy's work was awarded The Arts Society Nottingham 'Young Arts' Bursary and in 2019, was awarded a Spark small business grant by The Hive, in partnership with Santander Universities funding.
I've been friends with Lucy on Instagram for years now and she is such a lovely, sweet person. So please make sure you check her out and give her a follow.
Of Lucy's current designs, I think Henbane has to be my favourite. The vibrant green leaves popping out of their black background is so striking and would really make a statement of a room. The little touches of gold bees within the design, adding another element to lift the print to another level.
Atropos is also beautiful though; featuring majestic magpies on a background of wooden trellis with purple climbing flowers, this design is a work of art all by itself. It would make a stunning backdrop for a cosy garden room, or a study. Whilst Alnwick features a beautiful gold print of various flowers on a black background.
"Becca Who is a British Designer based in Lancashire, UK, whose dramatic and opulent style is loved by those who enjoy highly decorative, original design. Hand drawn details and painterly strokes, a passion for rich colour palettes and touches of the unexpected, effect a visual alchemy on luxurious textiles".
I couldn't have worded that better myself, so I pinched it from her website!
Becca's luxurious, mysterious and maximalist designs have been featured in British Vogue and on BBC1; they are available on wallpapers and fabrics worldwide, and are stocked in stores throughout the UK and Europe.
Becca's values include creating work that is made to last, whilst encouraging people to have more timeless designs in their homes and inspiring people to express themselves more creatively.
As with many designers, Becca is inspired by the natural world and the "beautifully bleak and wild" surroundings of her Lancashire studio, with all its atmospheric mood changes, history and folklore. You can definitely see that in her designs, which feature florals, wildlife and beautiful jewel and earthy tones.
She is also inspired by the art-world itself, including fine art, art nouveau and the Arts & Crafts movement; and studied various aspects of Art & Design, including fine art, art history and textiles. She also specialises in graphic design, which is where she came to learn digital design.
Becca really enjoys applying traditional painting techniques to her work, using digital tools; it gives her a flexibility and freedom that proves useful in her processes.
This lovely, friendly and talented lady is just amazing at what she does and her designs and materials are really high-quality. Please make sure you look at her website and give her a follow!
It's really hard to choose a favourite from Becca's designs; they're all so detailed and beautiful and the colour-ways are all so carefully thought out. But if I had to make a choice, I'd probably say Garden Treasures in 'mint'; I love cottage garden flowers, dragonflies, ladybirds and hummingbirds, and this design features all of those elements. The more you look at Becca's designs, the more you see within them; They are just so amazingly imaginative!
I also love Aviana, but I can't decide whether I prefer it in 'gala' or 'bouquet' - they're both equally eye-catching and elegant, but they each have a very different 'feel' to them.
Annika Reed
Annika's love of design started in her childhood with her inspirational father. She would spend time with him is his upholstery workshop after school, flicking through his pattern books and admiring his latest furniture renovations. She would take swatches and cuttings to use as wallpaper and carpets for her toys.
I remember doing the same thing - with sweet wrappers and tin foil!
Annika achieved a 1st class Honours degree from the University of Brighton and six years later, an MA from the University of Arts, London in Fine Art Printmaking with a specialism in woodblock printing. She has received many awards in printmaking and has worked alongside masters in her craft from China, Portugal and America.
In 2018, when Annika was pregnant, she struggled to find a wallpaper that came to life and would fill her daughter's head with images and memories for the rest of her life. She knew she would have to make her own; and that is what she did. And so, Annika Reed Studio - and a new baby girl - were born.
Annika begins all her designs with her sketchbook and pen, before refining her drawings onto a piece of Asian wood, where she then carves them using age-old processes she learned whilst in residence at the University of Shanghai in China, in 2006. It was whilst in China that she also developed her unique style.
Her process of creating a full series of carvings and colour layers takes at least a month to complete from start to finish and if she makes a mistake, she has to start over from scratch. That's dedication to your craft!
Annika prints all of her designs by hand in her London studio, using non-toxic techniques.
Annika's work has received many awards, including those awarded by the Saatchi Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. She has also been involved in numerous exhibitions, both as a solo artist and as part of a group. You can find all the information on these on her website, so please do take a look and follow her instagram page.
I love Annika's designs; they're all so whimsical and pretty and are some of the best designs I've seen for children's bedrooms and adult rooms alike. I especially love her Pegasus and Red Coat designs as choices for children. They are so perfect and beautifully drawn.
I also love Tibetan Tiger, which would make a great accompaniment for those House of Hackney Saber products I mentioned previously; and Pair of Dogs, which would also suit their aesthetic very well.
But my absolute favourite prints are Pomegranate, Lily of the Valley and Calla Lily. You all know I love a pomegranate print; pomegranates are just so feminine and beautiful - sexy and elegant, all at once. The latter two are great designs if you're wanting an Art Deco vibe; two beautiful, yet simple floral prints which really make a statement.
If you're anything like me, you've followed Poodle & Blonde for a long time and only just realised that Changing Rooms' most recent addition, Whinnie Williams is one half of this creative duo - the other half being Kierra Campbell.
Poodle & Blonde originally started out as a location house, owned by Margate-based Whinnie Williams, which soon attracted the attention of interior stylists and decor magazines around the world.
During this time, Whinnie began to realise that she needed to start creating and selling her own designs; and meanwhile, in London, Kierra - a freelance production consultant for emerging interior brands, noticed Whinnie's work and decided to reach out.
Whinnie and Kierra met and by the end of the meeting, were business partners! Since then, they have worked together to make Poodle & Blonde what it is today; mixing their nostalgic styles with their signature twist of cool and quirky!
Whinnie and Kierra have collaborated with the likes of Soho House, Club Jupiter and Haden; and are the perfect example of the saying, "Strangers are just friends we haven't met yet". So, just remember when you're nervous to meet someone new - it could be the best thing you ever do!
I am obsessed with Poodle & Blonde's Poodle Parlour wallpaper; it's fantastically vintage, whilst also being totally nuts and very beautiful. Who doesn't love dogs these days?!
I also love Money Tree, Tea Room and Food Babies, which all appear to have a very Asian influence on first appearance, but have stories behind them that go deeper than you might think. Make sure you have a look!
Poodle & Blonde are another brand who are perfect for children's bedrooms; I'd have felt very lucky to have some of these papers in my house growing up!
Conclusion
And those are 5 of my favourite wallpaper designers! I hope you've enjoyed exploring them with me and please do remember to click their names so you can check out their websites and follow them online.
Thank you so much for taking time to read, as always!
Lots of love!
Evelyn M
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